Can filling machine



A. O. GILES ET AL CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet1 March'so, 1943.

March 30, 1943. A. @LES ETAL 2,315,255

CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed MarchA 2, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2v.

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March 30 1943 A. O. GILES ET Al.

CIN FILLING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1942 4 Shee's-sheet 's March 30,1943. A. o. GILES ET AL CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed March v2, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mer. 3G, 1943 FFECE GAN FILLING MACHINE Alfred0. Giles, Eugene S. Sheffield, Jr., and Francis T'. Maruoka, Kahului,and Bernard J. Butler, Paia, Territory of Hawaii, assignors to MauiPineapple Company, Ltd., Pala, Territory of Hawaii, a corporation of theTerritory of Hawaii Application March 2, 1942, Serial No. 433,060

2 Claims. (Cl. 226-597) The invention relates to improvements in canlling machines and more particularly to improvements in mechanism foroperatingl the can lling valves in machines of the type shown in thepatent to Robert Luthi, No. 2,124,581, July 26, 1938. f-

The principal object of the invention isY to provide a valve operatingmechanism which will insure smooth and accurate valve movement and willnot be subjected to excessive wear.

The features of the invention, which reside in advantageous forms,combinations and relations of parts, will hereinafter appear and bepointed out in the claims,

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the type of can lling machine to which myinvention is particularly applicable. Y

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical 'sectional View -taken'on line 2 2,Figure .1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3 3,Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan View 'of one of the filling heads andvalve units of the machine.

- Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View takenV i through one of thefilling heads and valve units and adjacent portions of the machine, theView being taken on the line corresponding to line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the valve operating fingers andlocking block.

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail plan view of the valve Voperatingmechanism, the parts being shown in the positions theyrespectivelyoccupir at the beginning of one ofl the cycles'of operations of the valve.

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 7' showing the-parts of the valveoperating mechanism' in the positions they respectivelyv occupy'uponVthe completion of the rstvpart of the cycle of opera- Vwherein theinvention is shown as applied to the can filling machine shown in PatentNo. 2,124,581, granted July 26, 1938, I illustrates the rotating turretof the machine Whose upper portion is formed to provide a liquid supplytank 2 55 and Whose lower portion is formed with a tubular member 3which encircles and is revolubly mounted on a supporting column 4 boltedor otherwise secured to a casting 5 mounted on a suitable base 6. Liquidis supplied tothe tank from a supply pipe 50 through a housing or head5| adjustably mountedon a pipe or standard 52. Flow of the liquid fromthe housing 5I to the tank 2 may be controlled by a iloat 53.

Arranged about the periphery of the liquid supply tank 2 are a pluralityof can filling heads l. Directly beneath each can filling head is a cansupporting device B whichis mounted for vertical movement Within a skirtor the like 9 formed integrally with the column t of the turret,

Open top cans I() Which may or may not contain fruit but which are to befilled with syrup or other liquid are moved toward the turret by anysuitable means such asA endless conveyor Vchains II. The cans aretransferredfrom the vconveyor chains H to the cansupporting devvices bya star wheel I2 and they are removed from the can supporting devices bya star wheel IZa which may feed them to a vacuum seaming machine54.

' Y Each can supporting'device comprises a platform I3 on which the canis positioned by the star wheel I2. The platform is mounted on the topof a plunger I4 which is vertically movable within a housing I5 carriedby the skirt 9. The lower end of the plunger'is provided With a pin l5on which is mounted a main roller I'I and an auxiliary roller I8. Themain roller Il rides upon a circular cam track I9 which inclinesupwardly in 'the direction of rotation of the turret from a point Vjustbeyondthe star wheel I2 so that immediately after a can is transferredon to the platform of Y the can supporting device the device is movedup` Wardly to move the can into cooperation with the associated canlling head l. The inner edge of a portion of the cam ring I9 extendsupwardly `an-d inwardly to forni an overhanging arcuate cam tracksection 2G to cooperate with the auxil- Vlary roller I8 so as to insurelowering of the platform I 3 when desired. f

Each filling head unit comprise.; a body pci'- tionll which is suitablysecured onthe outside of tank 2 of the turret. Each body portion 2lcarries a rubber ring 22 adapted to be engaged by the upper edge of thecan carried by the associated can supporting device so that Vthe canwill be tightlyrsealed.

If a high vacuum is desired in the liquid filling of acan, members orjaws maybeA provided for encircling the can so as to prevent itscollapse or distortion. For this purpose, a fixed jaw 23 may be carriedby each can supporting device and a movable jaw 24 may be pivotallymounted on the outer end of the bodyv portion 2i of the lling head. Themovable jaw carries a roller 25 which is adapted to coact with asuitable cam track 26 for moving the jaw into and maintaining it inoperative position and for retracting it into inoperative position atthe desired time.

Each can filling head includes a valve unit cornprising a bracket 2'!suitably secured to a liquid supply tank 2 and a rotary valve 28 whosebottom surface is smooth so as to closely t and coact with the smoothupper surface of body portion 2l of the illing head. This valve controlscornmunication with the interior oi the can which is held by the fillingunit and in the particular type of can lling machine illustrated in thedrawings the valve is designed to assume four different operativepositions wherein (l) the can is subjected to a vacuum, (2) the can iscut off from the vacuumizing apparatus and a measured quantity of air isadmitted to the can, (3) syrup or other liquid is admitted to the can,and (e) atmospheric pressure is admitted into the can.

The present invention is alone concerned with the mechanism for rotatingthe valve from one operative position to the next and as such mechanismis in no way concerned with the particular function or operationperformed by the valve in any operative position it assumes, the variousports with which the valve body and cooperating body portion of thelling head must be provided to accomplish the specific functions oi thevalve of the machine shown in the drawings are not illustrated and neednot be described. The improved valve operating mechanism includes arotatable device which may advantageously consist of a vertical tubularmember 29 which is journaled in a bracket 2l. The valve may be removablyconnected to the lower end of this tubular member by forming its upperend with a rib or tongue 38 which extends into a slot formed in thelower end of the tubular member. When the tongue and slot are positionedalong a radial line of tank 2, the valve may be easily disconnected fromor connected to the tubular member.

Keyed to the upper end of the tubular member 29 is a sleeve 3l having aplurality of peripherally spaced arms 32, 33, 34 and 35, respectively,the number of arms corresponding with the number of different operativepositions the valve is adapted to assume. In addition to beingperipherally spaced approximately 90 apart, the arms are also verticallyspaced on the sleeve 3| so as to respectively cooperate with stops orthe like 56, 3l, 38 and 39 which are arranged about the turret atdifferent elevations so that each is disposed in the path of movement ofthe particular arm on the sleeve 3| with which it is intended tocooperate.

Also mounted on the sleeve 3i below the valve actuating arm is a memberil which may advantageously be substantially in the form of a squareblock. In addition to performing the novel function hereinafter pointedout, member 49 is adapted to cooperate with a ring lil which encirclesthe turret. for locking the valve against movement as it is advanced bythe turret from adjacent one valve actuating stop to the next one. Thisring which is immovably secured by a plurality of clamps #l2 to astationary shell or the like [i3 surrounding the liquid supply tank 2 isprovided with a notched portion 44 adjacent each of the valve actuatingstops for receiving a portion of the block-like member 40 and thuspermit of rotation of the valve by the stops.

Each of the cooperating arms and stops for actuating the valve aredesigned so that the valve will be rotated through only a part of itsarcuate path of travel from one operative position to the next insteadof through its entire arc of travel because it has been found that, whenthe latter is attempted, the initial point of contact between each armand its stop must necessarily be so far in advance of a line passingthrough the respective centers of rotation of the turret and valve thatthe valve movement is suddenly accelerated. This sudden acceleration hasbeen found to cause an overflow of the valve unit which results in theleading corner of block 43, designated A in Figure '7, being jammedagainst the wall of the adjacent notched portion of the ring thuscausing excessive wear of the parts and not infrequently the stoppage ofthe machine. This results in a rounding of the block corner and gougingand wearing away of the ring and it requires so much clearance betweenthe ring Lil and the sides of the block member 4D that accurate valvesetting and alignment of the ports is not possible.

By having each finger and its cooperating stop coact to rotate the valvethrough only a part of its arc of travel from one operative position tothe next, the initial point of contact between each arm and its stop isonly slightly in advance of the radial line connecting the centers ofrotation of the turret and valve and consequently there will be nosudden acceleration of the valve. In the particular form of theinvention illustrated in the drawings, each arm and its cooperating ngercoacts during movement of the valve by the turret to rotate the valveapproximately 45. The relative positions of the stop and valve unitafter the valve has been rotated by the cooperation of arm 32 and stop35 is shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, while the relative position ofthe parts when iinger 32 iirst contacts stop 36 is shown in Figure '7.

To cause the valve to rotate the remainder of its arc of travel to itsnext operative position after being partially rotated into the positionshown in Figure 8, the corner A of the block which projects into theadjacent notch 44 of the ring is adapted to cooperate with the portionof the ring bounding the notch. Thus as the turret continues to rotate,corner A of the locking block is brought into engagement with theforward face of the notch, as shown in Figure 9, and the block and thevalve will be smoothly and evenly rotated into the position shown inFigure 10 in which the valve is firmly held against further rotation bycooperation of the contiguous faces of block 4U and ring 4|.

By breaking down each cycle of operation of the valve into two parts ormovements instead of accomplishing it in a single movement, the parts ofthe machine are subjected to considerably less wear, and it is possibleto obtain exceedingly more accurate valve setting and consequentalignment of valve ports.

Various details of construction of the machine shown in the drawingshave not been described, as they are not essential to a completeunderstanding of the present improvement and those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the improvement may be applied to can llingmachines differing widely in construction from the one chosen forpurposes of illustrating the invention. For a complete understanding ofsuch details of the machine Which have not been described, reference maybe had to Patent No. 2,124,581, dated July 26, 1938.

What We claim is:

1. The improvement in can filling machines of the type having a rotatingturret provided with a plurality of filling units for holding the cansto be filled and in which a rotatable valve capable of assumingdifferent operative positions is associated with each unit forcontrolling communication with the interior of the cans, saidimprovement including a rotatable device mounted on each of said unitsfor actuating the valve associated therewith, said device being providedwith a plurality of laterally projecting arms and with a membervertically spaced from said arms, a plurality of stops arranged aboutsaid turret respectively cooperable With said arms as the turret movesfor rotating said valve through a part of its arc of travel from oneoperative position to the next one, and means adjacent each of saidstops for cooperating with said member as the turret continues to movefor rotating the valve the remainder of its arc of travel to its nextoperative position.

2. The improvement in can lling machines of the type having a rotatingturret provided with a plurality of lling units for holding the cans tobe lled and in Which a rotatable valve capable of assuming diierentoperative positions is associated with each unit for controllingcommunication with the interior of the cans, said improvement includinga rotatable device mounted on each of said units for actuating the valveassociated therewith, said device being provided with a plurality oflaterally projecting arms and with a block-like member, a plurality ofstops ar-v ranged about said turret respectively cooperable with saidarms as the turret moves for rotating said valve through a part of itsarc of travel from one operative position to the next one, and a ringencircling said turret having a notched portion adjacent each of saidstops, said block-like member being movable into one of said notchedportions When the valveis partially rotated by the adjacent stop andbeing cooperable With said notched portion as the turret continues tomove for rotating the valve the remainder of its arc of travel to itsnext operative position, said ring being engageable with said blockmember for preventing rotation ofthe valve during movement of the blockmember from one notched portion to the next notched portion.

ALFRED O. GILES. EUGENE S. SHEFFIELD, JR. FRANCIS T. MARUOKA. BERNARD J.BUTLER.

